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Friday, November 08, 2013

The Bible Makes a Baptist

The Bible Makes a Baptist: the Story of Why Christmas Evans Became a BaptistChristmas Evans, a Welsh Baptist preacher, was born on Christmas day in 1766. He preached fervently and effectually to the Welsh people from about 1707 until his death In July 1838. He gives the following account of how he became a Baptist.

“A person of the name of Amos had left the (Presbyterian) church at Llwynrhydowen, and had been baptized at Aberduar. He came to see me, and I began to assail the Anabaptist heresy, as I had been accustomed to consider it. But Amos soon silenced me. I attributed my defeat to my ignorance of the New Testament, and therefore began to read from the beginning of Matthew, to prepare myself for the next interview. Having read the New Testament through, I found not a single verse in favour of Paedobaptism, (i.e. baptizing Infants). I met frequently with passages in the Old and New Testaments referring to the circumcision and naming of children, their bringing up in the ‘nurture and admonition of the Lord,’ etc. but with none making any mention of their baptism; while about forty passages seemed to me to testify clearly of baptism on a profession of faith. These scriptures spoke to my conscience, and convinced me of the necessity of personal obedience to the baptism Which Christ had ordained. After a little struggle between the flesh and the spirit, obedience and disobedience, I applied to the Baptist church at Aberduar. I was cordially received, but not without some fear on my part that I was a rank Arminian still!”

This took place in the summer of 1787, four years after his conversion. At age twenty, he was baptized in the river Duar by Timothy Thomas.As printed in The Baptist Waymark, Vol. IV, No. 2, Mar-Apr 1996, p. 4

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

A short reflection for you on a current event. I thought there was an average chance of a lady that would meet up with me for the day at the Heritage Syrup Festival today. We had met once before. She told me that her daughter "might" have a basketball game, but she would let me know "as soon" as she found out. I know a farce when I see one, as this is by no means the first time someone who tried to pull this. Well, I am still waiting to hear back. She would not lie would she? Oh no, because she is a fine upstanding member of the first church of the refridgerator in Carthage, Texas. You know, by estimation, I would say about 90% of the people in the United States today are only concerned about themselves, and what is convenient for them.

It is hard to know what to say. Some people deliberately lie and some people may think they are trying to nice by not telling the whole truth. All of us Americans are probably to concerned about ourselves and by deceived by convenience.